Page 49 of In Between Darkness
“Hmmm, as far as I checked, I think all of us girls have eyes.” I playfully push him away, and he laughs.
“But none quite as mesmerising as yours, Asha.”
He budges up closer to me, and my cheeks redden. I sink into his arm and smile up at him, planting a kiss on his cheek.
“If Jaxon can really help me make sense of this, I’ll give you a real one,” I prop my head up and whisper into his ear. I feel him shiver a little at my touch, and he bites his lip.
“I suppose I’ll have to go talk to Jaxon then,” he smirks and runs his fingers through his hair. “Are we still on for tomorrow?” He tries to play it cool, but I sense the desperation in his tone.
“Tomorrow?” I question jokingly. “What’s happening tomorrow?”
He scratches the back of his head and blushes, looking awkwardly back at me.
“I’m kidding…of course I’m on for tomorrow.”
He doesn’t hide his relief and smiles big.
“You’ll pay for that one, princess,” he speaks through his smile and bites his lip again. His hand gently strokes my cheek and my face tilts into his touch. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He gets up and signals goodbye to Nala before exiting the library.
“You know how to play with that boy’s heart, don’t you?” She raises an eyebrow and giggles at me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I smirk and slide deeper into the sofa’s cushion, blushing at the thought of River. Maybe I do feel something more for him.
The night draws close, so Nala and I head up to our room. Nala is sitting cross-legged at the bottom of my bed, and I am braiding her hair for her. Her silky hair is a little damp from the shower she just had, and it smells of lavender. She wants it to be curly in the morning.
“Honestly, I’m so fucking nervous to get my Gift, I don’t know how I’m gonna get to sleep!” I exclaim, continuing the French plait down the back of her head. She tilts her head back slightly and looks up at me.
“You will be. I was so nervous I could have thrown up,” she says, not making me feel any better.
“Thanks for the reassurance,” I say sarcastically, and a giggle escapes her mouth.
“Iwasnervous, but now I can honestly say it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I got to meet Leia. She is amazing. You will feel the same way when you meet your God. It’s like something was missing from your life and you feel whole again.”
I can feel the passion ebb from her voice and can’t help but smile.
“I hope you’re right.” I finish the plait and pinch the bottom of it so it doesn’t come loose, pulling the black elasticated band from around my wrist and wrapping it three times around her shiny locks. “All done.” I gently pat her on the back, and she turns to face me.
“You’ll be a badass in the morning.” She uses my own words of advice against me and smiles, pulling me into an embrace. I exhale a deep breath and feel a small weight lift off my shoulders.
“Thanks, Nala. You always know just what to say.” I hug her back and then tuck myself under my bedsheets.
I stare up at the ceiling, envisioning what it will be like waking up tomorrow with Gifts. Turning over, I check under my pillow quickly to see if the humblebee vine is still there. I feel the vine entangling around my fingers, which mentally puts my mind at ease. I turn back over and stare up at the ceiling again. This is it. I close my eyes and wait for sleep to overcome me. I’m not tired, but my eyes feel heavy. I can feel a pull in the middle of my back. My God is calling me. I submit to the pressure and sink deeper and deeper into my mattress.
Chapter Eighteen
All I see is darkness; not even a splinter of light cowers in the shadows. A shade of black I have never seen before, darker than night. An unknown feeling draws me into the darkness, and I walk blindly ahead into its midst. The more I walk, the lighter I feel, almost as if I could start levitating if I go any further. The darkness is now broken by small beams of light dotted around. They kind of look like stars. I continue my walk and, sure enough, I am floating. I stare down at my feet. There is nothing below them, no ground to catch my fall. I look back up, and a shaky breath leaves my mouth. Don’t look down. It’s just a dream. It’s just a dream. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I will feel better.
The higher I levitate, the more silver lights blink and shimmer around me. In the distance, I can see a gleam of light that is bigger than all the rest. I feel a connection to it. I think it’s coming towards me.
“Asha Calloway… Oh, I have been excited to meet you,” a voice echoes around me. I turn around, trying to locate its source.
“Hello?” I shout out into the darkness.
I turn back around and focus on the light that is quickly increasing. I can see it a bit clearer now. It looks like a body wielding a bright light and travelling through the air at high speed. “Are you Heira?” My eyes are squinting from the brightness of their light.
“I am not the God of Light. Come closer, child.” The voice beckons me closer towards the flame of light. Its shape is becoming clearer, an outline through the iridescent beam. I scrunch my eyes a little, hoping to see something that will give me a clue as to which God I am speaking to. I can just about see her face. Her soft lilac eyes twinkle in my direction as she paints a warm smile across her face. The strands of her long platinum hair drift in the air as if they have a mind of their own. She has no podium, no staff of Influence like Leia. Her head does not cradle a halo of light like Heira’s. She does not wear white robes like Shirin and has no white dove to keep her company. Rose vines do not wrap around her head like Poten. Instead, lilac material drapes across her dainty frame and sparkles under the light, hanging down to her bare feet. Her open palm supports a set of silver weighing scales. They hang in perfect balance. Carved into each little silver bowl are the outlines of a sun and a moon. How is this possible? She is like no God I have seen before. Her image is not carved on the walls of Sun or Moon Castle, nor is it plastered in any history books. My eyes examine her, taking in each detail. She should not exist.
